This film is part of Free
The Barber of Stamford Hill
On the eve of his 50th birthday, lonely north London barber Mr Figg entertains the possibility of marriage
Overview
As Mr Figg natters to his clients, he fibs about his domestic life and imagines for himself a wife and children. After he lights the Sabbath candles one Friday evening, nostalgia for the warmth of his childhood home leads the Jewish bachelor to act on his fantasy. He takes a break from his regular chess evening with mute friend Dober to pursue the hand of his neighbour Mrs Werner, a busy and charming widow with two teenage children. Will family life meet Figg’s high expectations?
Adapted by Ronald Harwood from his 1960 television play, The Barber of Stamford Hill is a sensitive portrayal of adult loneliness and yearning for companionship. John Bennett plays Mr Figg with an uneasy charm that beautifully captures the character’s dissatisfaction with life as a single man, as well as his inflexibility. Dober’s silence makes him an intriguing audience for Figg’s incessant chatter, and Mrs Werner’s family life provides a prescient glimpse of how the teenagers of the 1960s were to break with long-held traditions.
Related
Simcha Simcha
Documentary 2000 12 mins
Extremely rare insight in the role of a Hasidic woman, featuring a mother-daughter team who live in North London.
Some of My Best Friends Some of My Best Friends
Documentary 1969 30 mins Location: Westminster
Jewish people - and a few Gentiles - muse on what it means to be Jewish in 1960s Britain
Chief Rabbi's Emergency Council Chief Rabbi's Emergency Council
1947 19 mins Silent
Poignant postwar appeal for Britain’s Jewry to support orphaned Jewish children rescued from Europe
Jewish Pensioners' Controversial Pools Win Jewish Pensioners' Controversial Pools Win
News 1975 5 mins Location: Southend-on-Sea
All good pals and jolly good company! A syndicate of Jewish pensioners from Southend celebrate their big win on the football pools.
Just One Kid Just One Kid
Factual TV 1974 54 mins Silent
A Jewish Eastender recalls growing up in poverty in the 1930s and being part of a community now long gone
Mr. Emmanuel Mr. Emmanuel
Drama 1944 97 mins
An elderly Jewish man journeys to Nazi Germany to track down a refugee’s mother in this extraordinary drama
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.